5 Common Errors found in Foreign Language PPC Campaigns

5 Common Errors found in Foreign Language PPC Campaigns

What are the 5 most common errors made by PPC managers who start running foreign language PPC campaigns for the first time? Below, Webrageous reveals all…

Language-friendly website

If you plan on running a successful multilingual campaign be prepared not only to translate advertisement text or an appealing landing page, but to provide a fully translated website. If your landing page is the only page that is relevant to an international user, you risk alienating that potential customer. Think of it as answering the phone with “hola”, but as soon as the Spanish-speaking customer becomes interested, the seller switches to Japanese.

Test the waters before you jump in

Get to know the competition. You may find that it will be very lucrative or perhaps unwise to invest your time and money in a PPC campaign competing with him/her. Ask yourself, “Will my business be able to make a difference here?”. You can perform a SWOT or strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis of the proposed multilingual campaign. Don’t think of your PPC campaign as immune to all the challenges you already expect to find when marketing offline.

Poorly translated keywords

Language, we all know, is very dynamic and words have both connotative as well as denotative meanings; a group of synonyms for one word can have absolutely nothing in common with each other. Getting a bilingual individual to translate your advertisements and to do extensive keyword research prior to crafting any advertisement text is helpful for creating a good campaign.

Don’t ignore international campaign teams

Enlist the help of a PPC advertising company that is international in focus and has bilingual employees. Relying on a US or UK-based company with little international focus is like handing over the keys of your new stick shift to someone who only knows how to drive an automatic. Sometimes you can get lucky and things will work out, but do you want to take that risk? Consult with PPC managers who have experience in managing multilingual PPC campaigns.

Don’t ignore the legal situation

Never assume that the way you are able to advertise in your home country is somehow extended to anywhere you may want to start a PPC campaign. Some countries have unique trademark regulations that may not exist elsewhere. Consider that several countries operate protectionist economists that favor local producers. They may make it difficult for your campaigns to make any ground in that country. Local manufacturers may also team up in an attempt to “crowd you out”. As a result, you need to know the nature of the legal landscape you will be competing in.

Multilingual campaigns can go a long way in increasing exposure and conversions. However, your PPC advertising campaign must be strategic in its approach and supported by market research prior to making commitments.